we the people here at cashin' in are shaking our heads and speak up for you and demand a we the people be heard by they the government. have a great weekend. feel good. what are you going to do thing? >> go home and see my wife. >> korean war veteran merrill newman is finally a free man once again. there you saw him in china. he's looking forward to a long awaited reunion after more than a month in captive. they finally released the 85-year-old. his plane just landed. north korea held him for alleged hostile acts during the korean war. north korea released a video of him confessing to war crimes. hello, everybody. i'm in washington with a

breaking news this hour. live at los angeles with the very latest upon his return and where we hope he will be speaking to reporters about his experience. dominick. >> yeah, absolutely. 42-day deal finally all over. let's show you the scene at san francisco airport at the international terminal there. the plane has literally just landed. apparently taxiing to the gate. eight minutes sooner than planned. he will come out of arrival toll at some point. he's got to go through immigration and get his bags. it could be a few minutes before we see him. just before he took off from beijing, we saw him in good condition. he was smiling. and he looked in good shape. this is what he had to say. >> i'm very glad to be on my way home. i appreciate the tolerance the dprk government has given to me to be on my way. >> i got to say for a 95-year-old guy he is doing

incredibly well considering what he's been through. we understand that his son jeff is expected to be there to greet him at san francisco and then take him to his home in palo alto here in california. his wife also we ready to greet him. jeff saying earlier on it had been a very difficult time for his family and particularly him given his age p. he had a heart condition. while the release came about, one week after we saw him on the video confessing to hostile acts against the regime, the koreans rang up the obama administration without explanation saying, hey, we're releasing him and lo and behold he found himself in beijing and on a flight heading towards san francisco. does coincide with a visit to south korea by joe biden, the u.s. vice president. and officials are saying that newman's release was the result of direct contact between washington and pyongyang. biden said it was a good thing the north koreans released someone. they should never have had in the first place. offered him a ride home on

air force two but a direct flight to san francisco, his home. so i don't blame him. i would be on that flight, too. >> and the vice president also calling for the release of kenneth bae, another american citizen who is being held by the north koreans. but the news for today really is mer merrill newman. there are some passengers coming through now. i'm not sure if they were on the flight from beijing. i imagine it's literally just getting to the airport right now. stay with us. back to you. >> dominic, thank you very much. we will be keeping close tabs on merrill newman as he arrives at san francisco international airport. if he makes remarks we will bring those to you as they develop. we invite you to join us. former governor bill richardson who has experience dealing with

the pyongyang government and get his reaction to the latest developments. from texas to tennessee, crews are working to clean up the roads and fix power lines knocked down by yesterday's big storms. not so fast, a second storm is working its way east and it could cause some major problems tomorrow. joining us now with details, accuweather meteorologist jennifer. nice to have you here. tell us more about this storm that folks are bracing for here on the east coast. >> well, we are having a break right now, but temperatures are well below normal all across the central plains from texas all of the way to the mid mississippi valley. the highs are going to be 20 to 40 degrees below normal throughout this weekend. now, the hardest areas hit by ice throughout mid week and basically wednesday to thursday will also see more isolator on tonight. the reason why is because we have a second storm, winner storm, over the western u.s.

right now bringing some snow across the valleys in california and the sierra, in fact, even northern parts of the sacramento valley. saw some snow and still seeing a few snow showers out there throughout the day. well, this will make its way further to the east across kansas city, st. louis tonight with snow. and the southern ernd. we have the icy mix for washington, d.c. and baltimore. this will be the first major snowstorm for the northeast bringing in a couple of inches between one to three inches across washington, d.c. and new york. >> jennifer, thank you very much for the update. we'll all be bracing for that cold stuff coming our way shortly. thank you. caught in the act, new video this morning appearing to show two men stealing parts of the porsche belonging to actor paul walker. that one he was in when he was killed in that horrific crash. tmz is reporting that walker's fans reported the whole thing. men running up to the tow truck and taking off with some of the parts. one of the men is 18-year-old

jameson witty posted the photos on instagram. witty is behind bars being held on $20,000 bail. the other man is expected to turn himself in soon. south korea is preparing for large crowds and a host of world leaders for a paying tribute to the life and legacy of celebrated antiapartheid leader nelson mandela who died earlier this week. his family is speaking out today forth first time paul is streaming live from johannesburg, south africa, with more on this. paul? >> reporter: it's two full days now since nelson mandela passed away and the crowds here are getting larger if that's possible to say. we just got a momentary lull behind me now but the crowds are getting larger every day. i would say that it's at least double the size of the crowd that was here outside the house

yesterday. in fact, this is the african way of recognizing someone's passing by in some cases singing and dancing to truly celebrate his life. even nelson mandela's grandson visited the house with other family members and dignitaries to help the fest i. atmosphere. he was seen kissing babies and shaking hands. mr. mandela would not talk to fox news. he wanted and -- well, when i say wanted, he's due to appear in court. he's been taken to court by other members of the family because he illegally dug up members of the family who have deceased and moved them illegally to other xwraifgraves. but he is the person, he is incredibly important to nelson mandela's clan. he's the tribal leader, the chief of the clan, and nelson mandela himself chose him to be his successor in the clan.

he was coming here along with other members of the family for a prayer session. i'm just going to ask our cameraman to just ensure i'm going to walk out of shot here so you can see the scene behind me here better. we've been hearing a prayer session here for the just about the last hour with the people of south africa and just the ordinary people of south africa coming here. the scene here is emotional and it is really quite something different even for south africa. >> thank you so much for that update from south africa. of course, we're going to follow the developments over the next several days. now to the storm that many of you are concerned about, the welfare of pastor who remains jailed in iran. there is some movement state side. next week the house foreign affairs committee will be holding more hearing on this case. he's been held in tehran for more than a year because of his christian faith. his wife plans to testify at that house hearing with news

that his condition is getting worse. last time he was moved one of the deadliest prisons in iran. today marks the 72nd anniversary of the day that will live in infamy. ceremonies are being held both here in washington and in hawaii to mark the japanese attack on pearl harbor. you're seeing a live picture of the world war ii memorial here in washington, d.c. that ceremony gets under way later this afternoon. thousands of people are expected to gather at pearl harbor to remember the surprise attack that killed more than 2,000 people andrew the u.s. into world war ii. among those attending, 70 surviving heroes from that fateful tragic day. well, a stunning new poll making headlines this week over news that the first time in 40 years more americans now believe that u.s.' global importance and prestige are on a downward spiral and there's a growing feeling that america should mind its own business abroad. that's not all. a whopping 70% in the pugh

research purr say believe the u.s. is less respected than it was in the past. joining us now for more on the impact of this survey at a time when the pub bluk remains divided over whether the u.s. should take the lead on the world stage, fox news contributor and former presidential candidate, herman cain. thank you for joining us today. >> thank you. happy to be with you. >> judging by the survey, americans seem to be less interested in u.s. engagement than in any other time in the less haft century. the poll found all-time low in public support for active u.s. foreign policy and growing desire to take a lower profile in the international arena. what do you make of this trend? >> three words, lack of trust. for the last three years this administration and this president in particular have not shown the rest of the world that we can be trusted. let's just take a look at three examples. israel, they were thrown under the bus at least a couple of times. when you spy on someone that's supposed to be your friend like

germany, that raises concerns. and the other thing that i believe attributed to this is the fact that this president decided to pull troops out of iraq regardless of how you feel about us being there, we liberated iraq. but if you pull out too soon, that void is going to be filled by the same element that we went in there to destroy. so it's lack of trust that i believe that's causing americans to feel that we are not as well respected and, in fact, we are not. >> well, you know, the president campaigned for the white house back in 2008 he emphasized the foreign policy strategy that was aimed at rebuilding alliances damaged by the wars in iraq and afghanistan. but this poll is showing that obama's approval rating for handling of for rehn policy so far dropped big time. 56% disapproval rating. what's the impact that this is going to have now on the world stage? >> well, i think on the world stage it's just going to mean that it's going to be more difficult for us to create meaningful relationships with

other countries going forward. and it also means that existing relationships are in jeopardy. in 2011, i visited israel and i had the pleasure as a presidential candidate to meet with a deputy prime minister and we had a very nice conversation. one of the most chilling things that i heard him say during that meeting, which was one-on-one, was he did not know, they didn't know whether or not america would be there for them if they were in a crisis. but he also said, they're going to do what they have to do to protect themselves. that is a serious lack of trust of this administration and this president. >> let me ask you really quickly though. do you think america's ke skepticism is like the handling of benghazi or are people just experiencing war fatigue? >> i think it's a combination of both. the way that the situation in

benghazi, the way the situation has been handled in libya and a lot of other places, the way the situation has been handled in syria, it did not say that this administration had a good grasp of it or that it even had a clear foreign policy. that contributes to it. and then when you add that against all the uncertainty back here at home that the american people are not only seeing but experiencing in things like obama care, which i'm sure that you cover a lot on your show, it causes the american people to not be comfortable with the leadership that we have right now. >> there's also a growing sense of isolation that we're seeing from this poll and when you were mentioning obama care and other domestic issues do you think the problems of a tough economy here at home is one reason why americans are fed up with the lack of real progress about solving our domestic challenges? is that why people are turning away from supporting major foreign policy move right now? simple i think that's part of it. i think the bigger thing is the disappointment and the deception

on the part of this president as well as the administration and the democrat leaders, quite frankly, in washington, d.c. and particularly in one of the studies that was a harvard institute of politics study, also, that showed that even millenials have done a 180-degree flip-flop. a majority of millenials voted for president obama and now a majority of millenials do not like obama care and what's also scary is that they believe he should be removed from office. i have to explain to a 23-year-old young man yesterday on my radio show, it's not as easy as it seems because of democrat-control of the senate. i think a lot of the desipgs that this administration has done on the american people is contributing to the mistrust in terms of our relationship with other countries around the world. >> you know, when you were talking about your radio show,

obviously you talked to a lot of people on a regular basis, what happens to a country like ours if a majority of citizens continues believe that it is no longer respected in the world? what does that do with the psyche of the nation with a progress of being a leader and beacon of hope in the world? >> i think it damages the psyche but the encouraging thing that i'm hearing from listeners is that they are waking up to the deception and they are going to exercise their right to change things in 2014. this is what a lot of people are focusing on. there may not be a lot of people can do in the short term, to change how america is perceived because of this lack of trust. there's not a lot the volt voten do in the short term even though we are continuing to be told that it is doing well and there's not a lot the people can do in the short term to minimize the negative impact of obama care. but people are focusing on the november 2014 elections because they are not stupid.

i hear it every day on my radio show. >> all right. herman cain, always a pleasure to have you on. thank you for joining us today with your insights. appreciate it. >> happy to be here. >> take care. well, take a look, you'ring looking at live pictures from the san francisco international airport where we are expecting to see american veteran merrill newman any moment. what was north korea hoping to accomplish by keeping him hostage? after the break, we're going to ask former u.s. ambassador to the u.n. and north korea troubleshooter bill richardson for his take. and you can't fight city hall, local officials tell one pint-size entrepreneur she can't sell mistletoe but she's welcome to, get this, beg. here's what she thought of that suggestion. >> the pins approximaterinciple need to start working hard. it's not applying themselves. >> and a hot story for all of you in the holiday season.

a scarred childhood leads him to devote his life in helping children in need. you'll meet him later on in this show. life with crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis is a daily game of "what if's". what if my abdominal pain and cramps end our night before it even starts? what if i eat the wrong thing? what if? what if i suddenly have to go? what if? but what if the most important question is the one you're not asking? what if the underlying cause of your symptoms is damaging inflammation? for help getting the answers you need, talk to your doctor and visit crohnsandcolitisadvocates.com to connect with a patientadvocae for one-to-one support and education.

on the table by not choosing the rit medicare d plan. no one could hav left this much money here. whoo-hoo-hoo! yet many seniors whoompare medicare d plans realize they can save hundreds of dollars. cvs/pharmacy wants to help you save on medicare expenses. talk to your cvs prmacist, ll, or go to cvs.com/compare to get your free, personalized pl comparison today. call, go online, or visit your local store today.

welcome back, everybody. now for the latest on our developing story. 85-year-old u.s. war veteran merrill newman is now back at home after north korea releases him after more than a month in captivity. joining us now is an experienced negotiator with north korean authorities, former u.s. ambassador to the u.n. and new mexico governor bill richardson. welcome, sir. great to have you here today. >> thank you. nice to be with you. >> why do you think north korea finally decided to let newman go after all this time? >> well, i believe they realized that their value to them had expired. they were getting a lot of bad press. he had made a confession. but what is interesting about the release is that it was a deportation. usually in the past, the north koreans demanded a high-profile american, a former president, to come in and get the person out, the detainee out, and the north

koreans would send some kind of a message that would be, well, okay, let's talk on this issue. but this time they didn't do it. so it shows the tactics of the new regime, of kim jong-un and it's uncertain what direction he wants to go with the united states, except that it seems to be very, very hostile. the fact that they took merrill newman off a plane, detained him. 85 years old, korean war veteran. it's just bizarre what they've been doing with american detainees like newman and kenneth bae who still remains in prison. >> i wanted to bring that up. even though newman has been released i know you've been particularly concerned over the continued detention of american kenneth bae who has been held continuative now for over a year to north korea and sentenced to 15 years hard labor. >> that's right. and there's no end in sight there. the family is suffering. kenneth bae's health is not good.

this is the longest detainment that an american prisoner has had with the north koreans. and what is also very strange is there was an american envoy that was going to go get him some two months ago and then the north koreans canceled that visit. so it shows that they're not ready to engage even in a humanitarian dialogue, although they did release merrill newman. they did state humanitarian reasons, and that's good. but he never should have been detained in the first place. but now we have to focus on getting kenneth bae out. this man deserves to be home for christmas. >> do you think the fact that newman apologized to pyongyang for his alleged actions during the korean war, made a difference in his release or is north korea doing this hoping for an improved dialogue with the u.s. think that by saying he's being released on humanitarian grounds this might change the dynamics at the moment? >> well, you know, it's very

hard with this new young leader, what exactly he wants to do. but a pattern has been for the north koreans to demand from the american detainees a confession of some kind, an admission of guilt. merrill newman did this. kenneth bae has done it in a certain way, too. other past detainees have done it. the north koreans always try to score a propaganda victory by having some kind of a confession. now, what is interesting here is the fact that, as i said, they have not requested a dialogue with the united states. they justtdeported him, which was the right thing to do and they're hoping to get some good will out of it. but it's uncertain the good will to do what? to keep -- there is no dialogue with the united states, with south korea, with china, with some of the six-party countries. so the whole peninsula remains a tinder box led by an uncertain

leader who has not telegraphed how he wants to move his country. >> i know you just released a book called "how to sweet talk a shark." with all of your experience as a negotiator, what is the best way for the u.s. to make it clear to north korea that it needs to stop detaining innocent americans at this point? >> well, it's simply talking. and, you know, it doesn't seem that north koreans are eager to talk to us. you know, when you negotiate with somebody like the north koreans, they're totally unpredictable. but you have to engage them. i think somebody has to talk to them. the chinese, maybe some korean war veterans groups. maybe third party diplomacy, a special envoy of some kind. the danger is that we know very little about this new leader except he's consolidating power. he's bringing his military leaders that are loyal to him, taking over the country. he's purged his uncle.

but at the same time he's only 30 years old. >> that's right. >> he's not been in the military. so, you know, we -- we need to learn more about how to engage north korea. and i think it makes sense in some way to have a dialogue. but if they don't want it, it takes two to tango. >> i need to leave very quickly here but i can't let you go without a quick comment about the passing of nelson mandela. i know in the '90s you worked with him on your negotiations to settle dispute in the congo. what was it like for you to work together? >> oh, he was like an angel. he was positive. he was kind. he was always smiling. at the time he was very concerned with his now wife. he was hoarding her. i would get him to talk to the two leaders in the congo and he said, well, i'll do it but i first have to talk to my future wife. but his stature was what

permitted in the congo the two sides coming together. his smile, his graciousness, his kindness. i mean, it was like when he walked in a room, there was a glow but the glow was started with his smile and his eyes that were very penetrating. you know, he was like probably the greatest statesman we've had in the last century. >> governor bill richardson, thank you for joining us with our reflections. we really appreciate it. >> thank you. well, it's a topic we in the media just can't resist. who will run for the white house in 2016? is kentucky senator rand paul in? he hints at what or who is preventing him from a possible presidential run right now. and one little girl's work ethic runs up against city rules that won't let her sell mistletoe but will let her panhandle instead. she's having none of that. >> well, if you can work, i say

work. if you can get something in exchange for money, then give something in exchange for money. i think that if you work hard, that you'll get something better out of it than if you don't work hard. ♪

man: [ laughs ] those look like baby steps now. but they were some pretty good moves. and the best move of all? having the right partner at my side. it's so much better that way. ♪ [ malennouncer ] take the next step. consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, it helps pay expenses that medicare doesn't cover and lets you choose or keep any doct

o accepts medicare patients. call or go online and request your free decision guide. use this guide to help you choose from a range of aarp medicare supplement insurance plans. have the right partner at your side. consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. go long.

welcome back, everybody. 85-year-old war veteran who was held in north korea for more than a month is now back on u.s. soil. take a look. you're seeing live pictures from the san francisco international airport. his story leads today fox news flash where we hope to hear from him soon. north korean nounsing last night they had deported merrill newman to china because he apologized for alleged crimes during the korean war. newman was taken off the plane after a ten-day tour of north korea. the after mat of a major winter storm thats has killed four people are caution travel

headaches across the nation. the dallas airport says airlines canceled 350 departures set for today. airport officials are saying they are no providing snacks and cots for the more than 3,000 passengers who have been stranded by this storm. a bizarre murder case in pennsylvania makes news. police say they have arrested a young couple who stabbed man because they wanted to kill someone together. police are saying that couple used a criagslist ad to lure the man and then strangle and stab him. they are out, they lead the group with nine nominations. country star -- ♪ country star taylor swift is up or two awards. and katy perry, mclemore and robin thicke. congressional democrats are facing some tough questions back home after the obama care website's disastrous rollout. one of those is west virginia democratic senator joe manchin

who left washington, d.c. for coal country to take a shot almost literally at answering people's complaints about obama care and other issues in a series of town hall meetings. correspondent traveling with the senator has more now. >> reporter: at a gun range in west virginia on thursday democratic senator joe manchin hitting head center. the certainty of target shooting is a refreshing departure from washington politics. later at a town hall meeting he faced a moving target. once loyal democratic state has shifted on the national level, a trend accelerated now because of obama care. >> what i'm hearing from our corporations and the business owners is uncertainty, uncertainty, uncertainty. >> reporter: manchin heard west virginias are tired of washington's gridlock and angered over the war on coal. >> i'm afraid not only are they going after coal, we're seeing an end of that. i'm worried they're going to go after natural gas. >> reporter: a september poll by the left-leaning ppp found that

49% of west virginia voters support impeaching the president and that was before the obama care rollout. the same poll found that manchin, a rare consensus builder, has taken let's but he finds comfort in remembering when the senate met in the old chamber during the fiscal cliff negotiations. >> i'll never forget. lindsey graham gets up to speak and he said the last time someone from my state spoke in this chamber it was the civil war. >> reporter: his latest attempt at a consensus, a bill that would delay obama care's individual mandate and thus the tax penalty by a year. >> for one year there should be no crime and no fine. let's have that as transitional year and see if we can make these things work. >> reporter: manchin is not up for re-election in 2014 but west virginia senior senator rockefeller is retiring. a clou to how west virginia ans may fill that seat may be found in the fate of congressman nick rayhal.

he has been hurt by the bad rollout, conservative americans for prosperity announced it is funding an obama care ad buy in his competitive direct. west virginia has been loyal to the democratic politicians. robert bird was the longest serving member in congress' history. but that may be threatened by what west virginia's perceive to be betrayal by a democratic white house. >> thank you very much. for those of you taking early bets on the next presidential free state, senator rand paul says his wife will need some convincing if he makes a run in 2016. >> where's my cellphone. can i call my wife? two votes in my family, my wife has both of them. my wife votes no right now. >> paul was talking about his white house plans on friday but despite those comments senator paul has already made several key visits to presidential states like iowa and new hampshire. and senator paul will joining chris wallace for a fox

news exclusive tomorrow. check your local listings for the time and the channel. this next story is something to really listen to and admire. she's only 11 years old but she's determined to do for herself. madison root was selling mistletoe at an outdoor market in portland, oregon, to raise money to help her father pay for her braces. a security guard stopped her saying she needed a vendor's license to sell. however, she was told that she was free to beg for money instead. well, that didn't sit too well with the pint-sized entrepreneur who is using the media attention to get out the message on the importance of hard work. >> i think that it's -- if there can be begging, then there should be working hard. so if i want to apply myself, then let me apply myself. >> she's quite a young lady. wouldn't you say? applying yourself is paying off hundreds of mistletoe orders

have rolled in for young madison. i have a feeling she's going to do very well. well, it looked like they were home free. a group of stranded whales headed for the open sea. but when mysteriously they were off course. what's going on? we're going to ask what's taking place with all those whale strandings coming up next. this is the quicksilver cash back card from capital one. it's not the "fumbling around with rotating categories" card. it's not the etting blindsided by limits" card. it's the no-game-playing, no-earning-limit-having, deep-bomb-throwing, give-me-the-ball-and-i'll-take- it-to-the-house, cash back card. this is the quicksilver cash card from capital one. unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, everywhere, every single day. so let me ask you... at's in your wallet?

. in the nation, sometimesbad.

add brand new belongings from nationwide insurance and we'll replace stolen or destroyed items with brand-new versions. we put members first. join the nation. ♪ nationwide is on your side ♪

welcome back. breaking news right now. there you see 85-year-old merrill newman now back in the u.s. after being held by north korea. he just spoke with reporters a short brief statement. he's there with his wife. we're going to turn that sound around for you and replay his response to you in its entirety. but basically he says he's grateful to be back home and thank the government because we understand the swedish government actually did some of the direct talks with pyongyang to secure his release and situation there where we are keeping close watch on him. we're going to hopefully get those remarks to you in just a short bit. update now on the whale strandings in florida that's been in the news this week about 50 whales made their way to shallow waters within florida's everglades national park. 11 of them have died and marine scientists are looking for the possible cause. yesterday scientists found another group of whales, 20 of

them, offshore. so we wanted to know why is this happening and what's being done to help them? joining us now on the phone, co-founder and program manager, the marine mammal research and conservation program at florida atlantic university's harbor branch. steve, thank you for joining us. it seems that we're seeing more whales stranding themselves in shallow waters these days. what's leading to the situation in florida? >> well, there's a variety of causes for different types of marine mammal stranding events. they all evoke strong human emotions for the public and intellectual curiosity among researchers and they always leave us usually with more questions than answers. but these are sentinels of ocean and human health. these are long-leave lived apex predators at the top of the food chain. it's important and we need to learn for them and better characterize their cause of death and try to gain a better

understanding of their life history. >> was it surprising to see 50 of these whales earlier this week and some of them died, of course, and then another 20 or so over the past day? >> well, it does raise cause for concern amongst the public. of course it's a very interesting event, and for the management agencies like noaa fisheries, it's obviously a big cause of concern for the-- they responsible for managing these types of -- >> is dl a virus going around of some kind? is it sonar? what can you point to that is having so many of these whales coming closer to tshores of the u.s.? >> it could be for a variety of reasons. seismic activity or a multi-beam echo sounder that the oil industry sometimes uses to map the ocean floor, low frequency

active sonar has been used in military exercises. it could be socially induced. these mammals are very closely bonded to one another. very low minimal disbursal rate of the animals. they stay together for life. if the leader of the group, the alpha animal, if you will, mvs into shallow waters the others are likely to follow and less likely to leave. >> this particular group of pilot whales, correct? >> correct. >> and these pilot whales, of course, as you saw, travel in these groups. as these situations become more frequent, what are the concerns that you all have in terms of the rescue effort? i know that many people do their best to try to save so many of these whales but unfortunately a number of them do die. >> yes, indeed. and that is the status part of the entire process. and it takes an emotional toll on the first responders, as well. but you have to understand the -- there's two things that the public should absolute need

to know. the first is know the number to call for wildlife response in your area. in florida it's the florida wildlife conservation commission number, and they dispatch the appropriate resources. also, funding for these operations and for national marine fishery services as a whole. marine mammal stranding events are poorly funded. so when these events happen, logistics and challenges, especially in this remote area, make it very difficult to mount a response and resources are limited due to the lack of funding. >> let's hope people hear that message and will do their best to try to raise the awareness and raise the funds needed for these whale rescues. steve, thank you for your good work and we wish you all the best. >> thank you. we reporting u.s. veteran merrill newman back on u.s. soil now. let's listen to what he said just a few moments ago as he met with reporters.

>> good morning. i'm delighted to be home. i want to thank the swedish embassy and pyongyang and the american embassy in beijing for all their help. it's been a great -- great homecoming. and i'm tired but ready to be with my family now. and thank you all for the support support we got. and very much appreciate it. >> very happy homecoming there for merrill newman who is obviously tired but excited to be back with his family. just in time for the holidays. we're going to continue to follow the story and bring you any late developments surround that release throughout this day. well, he was abandoned as a child, now a pastor is trying to change the lives of other youngsters in need. his aspiring story coming your way next. stay with us. farmer: hello, i'm an idaho potato farmer.

and our giant idaho potato truck is still missing. so my dog and i we're going to go find it. it's out there somewhere spreading the good word about idaho potatoes and raising money for meals on wheels. but we'd really like our truck back, so if you see it, let us know, would you? thanks. what? on the table by not choosing the rit medicare d plan. no one could hav left this much money here. whoo-hoo-hoo! yet many seniors whoompare medicare d plans realize they can save hundreds of dollars. cvs/pharmacy wants to help you save on medicare expenses. talk to your cvs prmacist, ll, or go to cvs.com/compare to get your free, personalized pl comparison today. call, go online, or visit your local store today.

welcome back, everybody. now, an incredible story of hope and inspiration. our next guest knows what it mean firsthand to experience the pain of abandonment and poverty. pastor bill wilson was abandoned by his mother when he was 12 years old it instead of allowing that experience to diminish his

spirit, he persevered and found the strength to devote his life to helping thousands of children in need. this holiday season, he's on a mission to raise money for toys and to bring joy to children here at home. it's an honor to have you here. i know this outreach is so important to you but before i ask you a little bit more about that, your personal story is so compelling. where did you find the strength within yourself to be able to move forward and to not remain bitter and yet decide that you had this connection to god and it was your mission to help children? >> it's very easy to get bitter. if you've lived enough life, you realize there's going to be all kinds of things going to be thrown at you. you've got a choice. it's all a choice. for me, i learned my commitment had to be stronger than my emotions. and if it isn't, you're not going to make it anyway. they'll always be something in life that will come at you.

and so you decide. when my mother walked away and i watched her leave for the last time, i sat on that corner for three days. no food, no water. those become defining moments. that was a defining moment for me. of all the people that drove by, hundreds drove by, hundreds walked by, and only one stopped. he just happened to be a christian. >> that obviously was a major turning point in your life. >> absolutely. >> most people would not have had that resiliency, that sense that they had to move forward instead of stay a victim. >> you're right, you're right. again, it's choices. when you were up against it, and to me, my faith, even if that point when i was a child, she told me, sit there, i sat there. and the man who picked me up got me some food and water, made some phone calls. and five hours after that connection on the street corner,

he put me in a church van, sent me to a sunday school camp. that was the time when i decided i believe in who jesus is. i heard the message. i believed it. inwas 12 years old. i never looked back. looking back at it now in retrospect, that's what carried me. >> let's talk about the organization you have setting up to help children around the world but also in this country, thousands of children are going to be receiving special holiday toys from you this christmas. >> right. for the last 20 years, we called it operation holiday hope. i realized that when you wake up on christmas, as i did for years, as kids do now, no hope, no father, no food, no tree, no gift. it's nice if you can let these kids know somebody cares. you and i both know when a kid doesn't get a gift for christmas, they equate that with not being loved.

we're going to change that again this year. >> we're putting information up for the viewers, if they want to help your organization out. you're a true inspiration, pastor. so great to have you here. merry christmas to you. >> merry christmas to you. >> thank you so much. controversy at the olympics. why the u.s. olympic snow boarding team's new uniforms are getting the cold shoulder. it's a stationery and gifts store. anything we purchase for the paper cottage goes on our ink card. so you can manage your business expenses and access them online instantly with the game changing app from ink. we didn't get into business to spend time managing receipts, instantly with the game changing app from ink. that's why we have ink. we like being in business becauswe like being creative, we like interacting with people. so you have time to focus on the things you love. infrom chase. so you can.

yeah... try new alka seltzer fruit chews. they work fast on heartburn and taste awesome. these are good. told ya! i'm feeling better already. [ male announcer ] new alka seltzer fruits chews. enjoy the relief!

the new olympic snow boarding uniforms are getting a cool reception. they may have a star spangled banner but they're not made in the usa. the company says its decision to outsource is about achieving high technical and design standards. also on foxnews.com, send us your best photos of your pampered pooches getting into the christmas spirit. olivia all dolled up for winter. isn't she cute? those photos are in. send us those photos.

we're going to show them to you during the month of december and you can vote for the best dressed pooch. our viewers can make that choice. check us out on facebook for info on how to enter. have a great day. good day to you. i'm kelly wright. welcome to america's news headquarters. >> topping the news this hour for you, an american military veteran detained in north korea finally released. coming up, a live report on 85-year-old merrill newman's grueling ordeal and his emotional trip back home. >> and the family of nelson mandela speaking out for the first time since the legendary leader's death. their emotional public statement coming up next. >> plus, we're marking 72 years since the attack on pearl harbor prp we'll have a live look at